Saturday, May 26, 2012

(KEEP SCROLLING DOWN FOR MY UPCOMING PERFORMANCES - SPOILER ALERT - I'M HEADED TO SOUTH AMERICA!!)
Thanks to two AMAZING projects, I have had the opportunity, several times this spring, to tell stories to pre-schoolers and to incarcerated teen age boys on the same day! The lessons that both groups have taught me are as varied as one would imagine, but more than anything, these experiences have shown me, for the millioneth time, the power of folktales, the commonality of people, and that kids are kids are kids – no matter whatever age.
For both of these, as a teller, I must be engaged, and ready for anything. Both of these populations can spot a phoney a mile away. And while the teenager who is doing “time” may cut his eyes at you, and the pre-schooler may begin to run around the room, or actually get up in front of you, as if to say,”I can do this better than you!” - both of these reactions signal the same thing – they see that I am being tentative, they see they I may fear them, they see that not every part of me is prepared to give my all to them in that very instant.
And, that’s the beauty of storytelling – the teller – no matter who the audience is, should ALWAYS be that engaged, ALWAYS be that present. The part of me who is a yoga instructor, sometimes thinks I do my best teaching of yoga when I am telling stories, because I am all in, every bit of me is united, every bit of me is present. It has been a gift for me to do this work, because yes, there have been days for both groups, where, frankly, I walked into a charged situation – tension in the air, “acting out” apparent, the harsh reality that I was interrupting something else that the audience was way more into than the prospect of hearing folktales come out of my mouth. But, as Parker Palmer says in his luminous book “The Courage To Teach”, one can feel their fear, but not tell/teach/act from it. It’s in that moment, when the kid who looks like he’d rather be ANYWHERE in the world – even in his cell – than be sitting there with you, or the tiny soul, who looks a nanosecond from having a full blown “I WANT MY MOMMIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” tantrum - it’s then that I found, if I stayed the course, committed to the tale I had prepared, and did my best to respectfully communicate it with my audience – pre-schooler or prisoner, that is where storytelling “magic” occurred.
That’s when the young man who’s head had been down on the table, voices his observations on a story – drawing a parallel between the tale and something he has heard or experienced. Or when the kid who’s been whirling around the room like a tornado, calms, sits, and listens with their full attention. Sometimes when I tell people about what I do, especially things like telling stories in prisons, their voices grow full of wonder, and they look at me like I was a taller Mother Theresa , and say, “That’s just WONDERFUL, what you do for those kids!!” But, I’m not foolish enough to believe for even a second that I’m the reason those kids become engaged – I may be the vessel, but what got those kids were the folktales that I am blessed and privileged enough to use as the material. Time and time again, I am amazed at the depth in even the simplest of tales, the way they speak to everyone; the lessons, and mysteries that they contain. That’s what draws in those pre-schoolers and prisoners alike. My job, then, is like that of a postal worker – to deliver these treasures in one piece - when they are most needed and wanted. Just as a mail carrier can’t keep a package they are set to deliver for their own, the tale isn’t “mine”, I’m only bringing it my audiences.
Looking at storytelling this way, and serving these two diverse populations, fills me with something that I could use a whole lot more of – humility. It puts me much more in the mood of service; it allows me to see that whatever gifts I may have for this storytelling stuff , or anything else for that matter, are only truly fulfilled when I use them as Ghandi advised when he said, “The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Here’s the BIG news:
6/11-6/29: STORYTELLING TOUR IN ARGENTINA WITH DREAM ON PRODUCTIONS!!!!!!!! I’ll be touring schools telling stories in English for students there – as well as tangoing and going to anything Evita related!!
So,,, where is Julie when she’s not storytelling?
She might be….Performing as Dr. Ima Confused, her character for the Big Apple Circus Clown Care hospital program at Harlem Hospital for the pediatric patients and their families.(More info on the circus below) Or, you could catch her stilt walking at any number of special events. And, of course, you might find her…teaching yoga at Devotion Yoga Studio in Hoboken, NJ - mostly Monday, Tuesday, and Friday nights, but some other times as well (more info on Devotion Yoga below)And, never forget that sometimes she’s cleaning chimneys – okay, not for real – but I just looking for an ending!!!
Big Apple Circus Clown Care hospital program:
is a community outreach program of the Big Apple Circus, an
award winning presenter of live family entertainment and a leading
not-for-profit performing arts institution.
Using juggling, mime, magic, music, puppetry, storytelling and lots of
improvisation, we are specially trained “doctors of delight” who bring the
joy and excitement of the one ring circus to the bedsides of hospitalized
children one to five days each week, year round, nationwide. As Meredith
Vieira, our national spokesperson and honorary clown doctor, phrased it:
From ringside to bedside! Clown Care makes “clown rounds,” a parody of
medical rounds where humor is the prescribed treatment. As “clown doctors”,
we are professional performers who work one-on-one with the children, their
parents, and hospital staff to ease the stress of serious illness by
reintroducing laughter and fun as natural parts of life.
A national network of host hospitals, generous contributions and grants from
individuals, foundations and corporations support Clown Care.
Storytelling Arts: Here’s the organization I do a lot of storytelling residencies in schools with: They are dedicated to bringing the art of storytelling to underserved populations. Storytelling Arts works with schools and community organizations to bring the benefits of storytelling to a varied audience. Storytelling Arts programs serve to boost literacy and build community through:
• Classroom residencies in schools
• Professional development opportunities for teachers
• Programs in community organizations
• Educational services in juvenile detention centers
Website: storytellingarts.net
Devotion Yoga: Devotion Yoga is a community dedicated to creating a safe, peaceful, and non-competitive environment which offers individuals the opportunity to learn the practice of yoga through classes, workshops and related events. We are committed to providing high quality, inspiring, unique, and balanced programming that support our members in living a healthy and fulfilling life.
Website: devotionyoga.com

Julie's Bio

Julie Pasqual is a storyteller who's performances are infused with physicality and movement from her dance training, comic moments from her work in clowning, a deep love of language from her work as an actress, and a love of world cultures and folktales born from her travels to (so far) 49 of the 50 states, and 12 countries. Using all of her performance skills, and an ever present spirit of playfulness, Julie brings stories to audiences from pre-schoolers to prisoners, and everyone in between in single shows, assemblies, workshops, and residencies. Schools, libraries, festivals, museums, group homes, shelters, detention centers, and even weddings, have been some of her venues. When not telling tales, she can be found performing for Healthy Humor, a program designed to bring joy and fun to hospitalized children and their families, teaching the ancient practice of yoga at several studios, and domestic abuse shelters, and travelling to international schools around the globe as a teaching artist for ISTA (International School Theatre Alliance, as well as sweating as much as she can at her local gym!!!

Follow Juile's Blog!

Upcoming Performances

Many of my “tellings” are private performances for schools, or part of ongoing residencies I have. The following are some venues where the general public can see me. Hope to see you there!!FEBRUARY 2017:2/4/17: Hempstead Library, NY 2PM2/4/17: Battery Park City, NYC 4:30PM2/25/17: Rahway Library, NJ 2PMAPRIL 2017:4/29/17: CT Storytelling Festival, New London, CT, 9AM, 1:30, 7:30!!MAY 2017:Manasquan Library, NJ 3:15PM

SO, WHERE'S JULIE WHEN SHE'S NOT TELLING TALES??

Well, she might be...performing in hospitals for children and their families for Healthy Humor a program designed to bringing humor and joy to the pediatric patients, or she might be...teaching yoga at Hudson Yoga Project in Hoboken, NJ, Yogamaya, The Bhakti Center, or at homeless and women's shelters in NYC. Or she might be...stilt walking, clowning, or dancing at various events. Or she might be travelling as a teaching artist for ISTA (International School Theatre Alliance)

Julie Live!

What They're Saying about Julie!

Julie Pasqual brings stories to LIFE. She is a storyteller of the first magnitude, with a collection of tales from all over the world. If you have the mistaken impression that children are bored by traditional storytelling, Julie will, with one beat of a drum, dance of her feet, or participatory shout from the audience, dispel your reservations. Julie is a true griot, a tribal teller who carries stories forward so that current generation and generations to come can learn the stories and the art of the teller. I have never had Julie at the library when the audience didn't leave smiling from ear to ear and repeating the rhythms and stories that she has taught them.

From Lisa Herskowitz, Youth Services Librarian, East Northport, Public Library.

"Julie Pasqual is one of the best storytellers we have hosted at our library. Julie is a whirlwind of positive energy who knows how to work a room filled with children of varied ages as well as adults. Her performance, which was the perfect blend of humor, physicality, and poignancy, held everyone's attention. Everyone walked out with a smile! I look forward to inviting Julie back in the near future."

To whom it may concern,

Julie Pasqual is a truly amazing performer! From the minute she steps on stage – even if the stage is a respect commanding school chapel or a huge, undecorated school gym – she holds the audience spellbound. Because Dream On Productions has presented more than 40 performances in Argentina by this excellent storyteller, I was treated to a wide variety of tales. My favorite one is “Unana,” a traditional folktale where the mother goes after an elephant who ate her children, and has to be swallowed along with them in order to rescue them. I also love the story of Death and her godson, a story told in cultures throughout the world. Her stories, her voices, her facial expressions, her stage presence make her performances unforgettable.

The fact that she uses the whole of her body to convey emotions and images that get the idea across makes her unique among the excellent performers we normally schedule, and perfect for our audiences of ESL learners.

Julie is furthermore a joy to work with and makes the entire experience not only a delight for the audience but also for the tour organizers. Just to mention a couple of examples, she was most co-operative trying to resolve an issue with a flight schedule change by the airline, and very patient signing autographs for long lines of school children.

In addition to my own opinion expressed above, we have received much feedback thanking Dream On and Julie, full of positive comments from teachers and children. As director of Dream On Productions, I heartily recommend her storytelling skills and professionalism.